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Tag: A Dose of God Today

  • To live brings out pain, yet it bears fruit joy

    To live brings out pain, yet it bears fruit joy

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    September 15, 2020 – Tuesday; Feast of the Our Lady of Sorrow

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091520.cfm)

    Homily

    To experience pain in life can become devastating and even maddening. Having a toothache can completely destroy your day. Having a headache can affect your daily activities. Indeed, when pain becomes unbearable and frustrating, it affects our daily routine and activities, our work, even our sleep and relationship with friends and family.

    Who would really want to be in pain? As much as possible, we avoid pain. Consequently, the medical science developed pain relievers that would take away slowly or instantly the aches and pains we feel in our body. In fact, a particular field among doctors has been developed to assist patients who will undergo surgeries through the use of anesthesia. Through its use, the patient will have a painless surgery so that he or she will be able to have a quality life.

    However, no remedy can be given to a heart that is bruised, abused, betrayed and/or humiliated. No doctor can apply anesthesia to a deep emotional pain. It can even linger and deepen with time. For such reason, some would succumb to it without any help from others and end their life. They see it as the only remedy to end that deep emotional pain they have been enduring in their life.

    This is the sad part because pain will really be unbearable and life-threatening when it is faced alone. Today, as we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Our Lady of Sorrows, we are reminded that pain in itself is all part of our life. No one can escape pain. Everybody will surely meet pain in different degrees and aspects of life. And what this feast is reminding us now is the wonder and the beauty in confronting and carrying pain with others.

    Let us remind ourselves at the prophecy of the old Simeon. This old man had been waiting for the appearance of the Christ. When the baby Jesus was brought by the couple, Joseph and Mary to the Temple, behold, Simeon had caught sight of Light, the salvation of the world. However, this child will be responsible for the rise and fall of many in Israel. What he meant, was the rising of the humble, the poor and those marginalized by the society into the heart of God and the fall of the powerful, the self-righteous and the corrupt. For this reason, the infant will be a contradiction. The child will bring change and transformation to all that can be painful to those who seek comfort and power, titles and riches.

    Being a contradiction to the world, the child himself will undergo a terrible pain of betrayal, of dying and of death in which no amount of pain relief medicine or anesthesia can aid. Moreover, the same amount of pain was also given to the mother of the child, to Mary. As Simeon prophesied, “you yourself a sword will pierce.” Mary’s heart will be pierced with so much sorrow and pain as she suffered with her son.

    Every blow to Jesus, Mary also endured. Every insult to her Son, Mary also suffered. And every agony of Jesus, Mary also agonized. However, despite all these gruesome and painful events in the life of Mary, she did not hide. Mary did not escape into dreams. She did not ran away into loneliness and depression. Mary bravely confronted pain by being with her Son, by journeying with him until his last breath.

    Why is that? When people would hide and ran away from pain as what the men disciples did, but, Mary bravely faced that sword piercing in her heart and suffered in silence along with her Son. What gave her the courage? What made her to stand beside her Son and her Lord?

    It was love that sustained Mary. It was her deep concern and affection to the person whom she loved that moved her to be with Jesus and to also suffer with him. And to the suffering Son on the cross, the presence of her mother was the best comfort he had. The presence of Mary was more powerful than any pain reliever or any amount of anesthesia applied to the dying Son. Though, Mary’s presence did not take away the pain, but her presence made Jesus to be more resolved that there is hope in humanity.

    Mary’s presence on the cross is a testament to God that humanity can show so much concern and love to a suffering person. That’s why pain is never the end, suffering is never the last thing in life. The glory of the resurrection of Jesus tells us of that freedom from pain and promise of joy. We can attain that, by being together, by not suffering alone, but by allowing others to suffer with us or by allowing ourselves to suffer with others. Certainly, to live life will bring pain in us, but it will also bears fruit joy because of being with our friends and loved ones.

    Thus, on this feast of Mary, we are also called to be an instrument like Mary, to give comfort to those who are suffering and in pain in many ways, physically, spiritually or emotionally. Let our presence be an assurance of friendship, of love and concern to those who are in terrible pain this moment. For those who are in pain also, never retreat, deny or hide the pain or escape from pain, but allow others to journey with you. Allow those who love you to hold you and to embrace you. They may not take away the pain you are feeling, but let their presence, friendship and love be your source of comfort and confidence in your trying moments.

    May Mary, the Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Life and Freedom in forgiveness

    Life and Freedom in forgiveness

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    September 13, 2020 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091320.cfm)

    Homily

    A friend shared her troubles. There have been nights of anguish and sorrow that she was enduring in the past months. The difficult situation of the lockdown and the movement and work restrictions in the City added to her emotional suffering and even heightened the way she’s handling her troubles. There’s so much anger, hatred and self-blame in her heart. Something has triggered her painful memory of the past that relived the physical and emotional abuse she suffered from her father. That painful memory brought fresh anguish and sorrow, as well as those feelings of anger, hatred and self-blame.

    These emotional suffering became episodes of attacks to the point of having sleepless nights and empty feelings during the day. As she said, she could not find a way on how to reconcile things, find peace and realize forgiveness. Her traumatic memory was just too painful to forget.

    Though that memory happened in a distant past but it remains fresh in her mind every time she remembers that. Indeed, this happens when a traumatic memory is merely buried in forgetfulness and covered by pretensions that as if nothing had happened. However, not unless that past of horror is accepted, embraced, confronted and be forgiven and not forgotten, only then, a person achieves peace and reconciliation.

    How important really then, is forgiveness? Is it possible at all to forgive without forgetting?

    This Sunday’s Gospel, the response of Jesus to the question of Peter regarding the number of times to forgive others and the parable he gave to his disciples tell us of God’s invitation to forgive and its important in the way we live our life as Christians and in our desire to live in freedom.

    We have heard Peter how he asked Jesus about how many times he should forgive. For the Jews a righteous man should forgive those who have hurt them for four times. However, Peter exceeded that and made it to seven. He thought he has more than enough. Nevertheless, Jesus responded to him that not just seven times but seventy seven times. The number actually does not matter. What Jesus is saying is that, forgiveness has no limit.

    Why is that? Why forgive without limit? It is even so difficult to forgive even once especially when the person who hurt us is someone we love and someone we trust. As what my friends shared to me, most of our pains are sometimes rooted from our relationships especially when we are betrayed or abused or deceived by a family member or friends.

    The pain and suffering that come from those broken relationships create deep wounds in us. And will forgiveness be possible then? Yes, it is. And forgiveness will always be a call for each of us.

    Hence, unless we find forgiveness in our hearts that begins with accepting and embracing those painful experiences and go on with life, then, we will not be free.

    Remember, forgiveness will make us free. It will not erase the scar of betrayal or of abuse or of deceit in our life but we will be able to stand up, to wipe our tears and go on with life.

    Forgiveness then is not about telling the person, that what he/she did was okay and pretend as if nothing happens. No! Forgiveness is to heal our wounded heart that will make us say to the person, “I forgive you not because of who you are but because of who I am.” This is what the Dalai Lama said.  This means that to forgive is not about to forget. To forgive is not to allow that painful memory to hurt us again in the present and to be freed from grip of violence.

    Forgiveness, then, also is not really for the person who hurt us or those who caused us the pain but rather it is all about us. The pain that we endure will lead us to feelings of anger, hatred and bitterness.  When we linger to these they will lead us to a heart that seeks revenge. This will become our tendency from our belief that by hurting the person back, our anger and hatred will be satisfied. But then, we are wrong because anger and hatred will never be satisfied by violence. Violence will only make us angrier, hateful and bitter person. The more we linger to our pain, anger and hate; they become a cycle that will never end. The Book from Sirach reminds us about this, that wrath and anger are hateful things that we sinners love to hug them tight.

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    This is how a person can create a cycle of violence, of revenge, of anger and hatred mostly directed towards ourselves. We will become prisoner of our own pain. All of these will control our lives, our thoughts and actions. We will never be free. We will begin to become suspicious to our other relationships. We will be afraid of trusting others, of loving others again and even ourselves. We are fearful because we linger to that pain thinking that other people might do it again to us. Hence, the cycle begins.

    This, indeed, is the attitude of an unforgiving person portrayed by Jesus in the parable. The person who was all cleared by the king from his debts became unforgiving and unkind to his fellow servants. Despite the kindness and the forgiveness shown by the king to him, he turned to be filled with hatred and resentment towards those who were indebted to him. He was violent, vicious and hateful. Thus, while causing pain and damage to others because of being unforgiving, he too later on was punished and suffered more.

    This is what Jesus is saying to us now and he wants us to forgive many times because a single un-forgiveness will only make us prisoner of our own pain and hatred. Jesus wants us to be free and not prisoners of anger, hatred, and bitterness or of violence. Jesus invites us to find life and freedom in forgiveness.

    In this way, we may always find reconciliation with God and with those who have hurt us so that in return, we too shall also be forgiven by those we hurt in one way or in many ways. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Be Forgiven BY Being Forgiving for God

    Be Forgiven BY Being Forgiving for God

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    September 13, 2020 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091320.cfm)

    Homily

    “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Easy for us to say these words at times to make excuses for our wrongdoings and to ask forgiveness for our mistakes. However, we also say same words of excuse to refuse forgiveness to those who have wronged and hurt us. “What can I do, I’m only human.” “Pasensya lang, tao lang po.” These words in fact describe not only our human frailty but also our difficulties of forgiving others. Perhaps asking forgiveness is much easier than giving forgiveness. But nevertheless to forgive is indeed difficult, especially whenever it is associated with “forgive and forget”.

    When his disciples asked Jesus how often should we forgive those who have sinned against us, they are just expressing our difficulties in practicing and upholding the value of forgiveness in our lives. Yes, like the disciples we see the value of forgiveness in our lives but we also know how frustrating forgiveness is and can be. In response to this, somehow Jesus in our gospel teaches and offers us something more about forgiveness.

    When he said “not seven times but seventy-seven,” Jesus is telling us to forgive indefinitely. Forgiving others then is not about numbers (counting faults, sins, mistakes and forgiveness) but all about sharing – GIVING your compassion and forgiveness (awa at patawad) without counting the cost or prize. Meaning, though human it is for us to err and to forgive is divine, nevertheless it is also human to forgive. Frail human as we are, we CAN also forgive and be forgiving of others. Difficult and frustrating it may be,  we can humanely and divinely give and share forgiveness with one another. 

    In our parable today about “the forgiven yet unforgiving servant,” Jesus is also teaching us that forgiveness is more than just “forgive and forget”. For Jesus, forgiveness is all about settling account, paying back, being patient, and regaining trust and respect. Meaning  to forgive is not about forgetting but all about evaluating, i.e. to put value and importance to the action-done, the experience-happened and the relationship-built. In other words,  Bigyang halaga at hinidi binabaliwala lamang. So, to forgive is then not about forgetting but rather about remembering – to put value on the whole experience of reconciliation from mistakes as part/member of ones life. It is a decision to give value, importance and responsibility to your action, experience and relationship.  And not to get out, get rid, and get away from our own mess, but to give God, each other and yourself another chance to grow and live life. For instance, the master forgave the servant because the master gives value and respect to the mercy-asked, promised-made and the relationship-renewed between him and the servant.  However the same forgiven servant was unforgiving because he did not value and respect his fellow servant. That is why to forgive is also  for both the aggrieved and aggressor to remember the wrongdoings-done, lessons-learned & restored trust from the mistake. Thus forgiving is about remembering for the sake of healing while forgetting the resentment. 

    Above all, our gospel today directs us to “Be forgiving as we are as we have been forgiven by God”. Let our reason then for forgiving others should be not ourselves (just to feel good) or be others (just to appease them) but be God, who forgives and loves us first and always. Forgive then not for our’s or other’s sake but for God’s sake, as Paul reminds us today that we live and die not for oneself but for God. Forgiveness is God’s grace we received and ought to be shared to others. Let our forgiveness be our offering of gratitude for God’s mercy and forgiveness – in thanksgiving for being ourselves forgiven.

    In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to ask our Father to “Forgive us AS (same way as) we forgive those who have sinned against us”. This is our cry to the Father to give us another chance in life as we try our best to give ourselves and other’s another chance also in life. Yes, forgiveness is divinely-granted but also humanly-shared for God, not to be forgotten but be remembered for its value in life.

    Pandemic times make us also conscious not only of the mess, struggles and challenges we are in, but also our own mistakes, shortcomings and wrong-doings in life. We realize that we also need not only God’s love, protection and guidance but also His forgiveness and mercy at this time as well. And we can fully enjoy all His graces by also being humanly and divinely enough forgiving and loving to those who have wronged, failed, and hurt us. In other words, we are mercifully forgiven by our being forgiving….. we are loved by our loving.

    Human as we are, yet are blessed and forgiven, may we be and ought to be for God’s sake forgiving to others especially to those who are needing of His compassion and mercy at this time.  So be it. Amen.

    By  Fr. Aphelie Mario Masangcay, CSsR (a former Filipino Redemptorist Missionary for Filipino Migrants in South Korea who, due to immune compromised diabetic condition, stationed back home  in the Philippines for now).

  • How blessed am I?

    How blessed am I?

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    September 9, 2020 – Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090920.cfm)

    Homily

    How do we understand being blessed?

    Usually, when we think of a life that is blessed we think of material wealth and prosperity – like having a good family, a prosperous business, a successful career or a good paying job, or having a good health. We think that being blessed has something to do with success and material possessions.

    Thus, poverty is never a blessing; being persecuted, being sick and being rejected is never a blessing too. If we are experiencing such life, we consider ourselves to be cursed.

    However, what Jesus told us today is quite opposite of today’s standard. Our human understanding of being blessed is different from God. Indeed, there is a need for us to understand blessing and our life from God’s perspective..

    In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus warns those who in the standard of the world are blessed such as the satisfied, the rich, the powerful, the popular and the influential. The danger lies in the attitude of the heart that becomes independent from God, a heart that rejects God’s mercy and love. In fact, Jesus warns us when we tend to accumulate more wealth for ourselves at the expense of the poor, or when we gather fame and influence at the expense of others.

    Such attitude of the heart is filled with arrogance and self-centeredness that has no need of God. True enough, when we are so filled with ourselves and too satisfied of what we have gained and achieved, we don’t need God anymore. Our successes and we, ourselves, have become ‘gods.’ This leads us to worship our achievements, wealth, our power and ourselves. But then, all of these corrupt us because we will never be satisfied. We will thirst and hunger for more wealth, recognition and fame which will also lead to our own destruction and those who are around us and those blocking our way to gain for more, as any form of addiction will also result in this way.

    Indeed, dependence on these forms of material satisfactions is a mere arrogance and a false sense of security. This is actually the promise of addictions, in whatever form that may be, whether addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, influence and fame, wealth and power (political or economic power).

    However, in God’s perspective those who are poor, sick, persecuted, those who failed and rejected are blessed because it is in their poverty and difficulty that they also realize their weakness and need of God. Such insecurities bring us to understand that we are so small in this world and we are in need of God’s grace. That is why; Jesus addressed these Beatitudes to his disciples, assuring them of his presence. His disciples left their families and jobs. They went to places where sometimes they have to sleep without roof. Authorities ridiculed them and insulted them for following Jesus.

    Thus, the very presence of God in our life is what makes us “blessed.” Since God favors those who are weak, poor, suffering and struggling in life, they are the ones who are blessed because they understand their need of God. God comes to us when we are ready to accept God in our life and to let God be our God.

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    God invites us then, to recognize our own poverty and anxieties because God blesses us with His presence. This is also the message of St Paul present in his first letter to the Corinthians. Though at that time, they must have believed that the “Parousia” of the second coming of Jesus was about to happen during their lifetime as he said, “for the world in its present form is passing away.” Paul reminded the people of the need to be more attached to God rather than to what was material and temporary. Paul recognized the importance of ones dependence to God and complete trust in God’s providence. Through the presence of God present in their life, they were indeed blessed.

    So, how blessed are you? The material wealth that we have gained, the influence and fame that we have received, the successes that we have achieved, our good health, our talents and abilities, our knowledge, intelligence and competence are signs of God’s grace and generosity. When we have these, these may lead us to humble ourselves and to recognize that these are gifts and we ought to share them to others. Thus, if you have received much, share the blessings to those who are in need, if you are enjoying success in life, share the experience with those who failed especially in these trying times of the pandemic. It is in this way that the Kingdom of God will truly be present among us, and that we ourselves become the blessing. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

  • Pregnant with God’s Presence

    Pregnant with God’s Presence

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    September 8, 2020 – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090820.cfm)

    Homily

    Viva Maria! Viva Hesus!

    Mary, indeed, is a key figure in our salvation history. Yet, not one story in the bible that we could find about her birth. The first time we encounter Mary was already at the annunciation of the Angel Gabriel that she was to become pregnant with God.[1]

    Mary’s birthday can only be understood and appreciated through her pregnancy and her presence in the life of Jesus. So, as we joyfully celebrate her birthday today, let us discover God’s invitations for us as we remember the life of the Blessed Virgin Mother.

    The Book of the Prophet Micah tells us how the lowliest among the clans of Judah, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, was chosen by God to become the bearer of the ruler of Israel, who is called Peace.

    Bethlehem was indeed a small town, though the birthplace of David, the great king, but it remained un-influential. Ephrathah is the old name of Bethlehem which was retained by the Jews. These names are indeed symbolic because of the meaning behind them. Bethlehem means the house of bread and Ephrathah means fruitfulness or abundance.

    Micah tells us how the Lord brings abundance of bread, an abundance of life from this lowly place. Certainly, the son that Mary brings to us is the bread of life who brings abundance of love and life into the world.

    The Gospel today from Matthew recalled how Mary was found out to be pregnant and how Joseph planned to divorce her quietly. However, God intervened through an angel telling Joseph not to be afraid for Mary conceived a son through the Holy Spirit, “She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus (meaning, God saves) because he will save his people from their sins.”

    This particular story of the pregnancy of Mary tells us more of the birth of Mary, of why we are celebrating with joy and gratitude to God the birth of the Mother of Jesus and our Mother too.

    Through the life of Mary, the Lord reminds us and call us in an intimate way to come closer to Him for God gives abundance of peace and life. There are three points that I invite you to dwell on this birthday of our Mother Mary.

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    First, to be humble. God chooses us not because of the great things that we do. Our desire to be great in the eyes of others is futile in the eyes of God. God chooses us because of who we are to God. We are loved though we are not deserving. The clan of Bethlehem-Ephrathah was surely not deserving but in his lowliness God found delight. God finds delight with the unpretentious that is why God found favor with Mary. And Mary responded to God out of gratitude and faith.

    Second, God never forgets us. God’s intervention in human affairs proved how God will do everything to let us know that we are loved. God, through the participation of humanity, and that is through the person of Mary, made the Divine presence be felt and be manifested in a concrete way. Thus, even in times of so much confusion and difficulties around us, never forget and always remind ourselves, God has never forgotten us. God is with us.

    Third, we can be pregnant with God. Yes, Mary’s pregnancy tells us that humanity can be pregnant with God. This means that we are capable of becoming a bearer of God’s presence to others. To become pregnant with God is to welcome God fully in our life where we are promised to be also filled with love, with peace and with the abundance that life with God can give us. In Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus, her heart is revealed that there was no bitterness, no scars of fear or hate, only love, only peace. By allowing the Lord to be with us, we may also become pregnant with God’s presence where our heart shall also be cleared with bitterness, fear and hatred.

    In this way then, we may hopefully celebrate this day of birth of Mary, our Mother, with true joy and gratitude to the Lord for giving us such grace. Hinaut pa.

    Jom Baring, CSsR

    [1] What we only have is the story of her birth that can be found in a Christian-devotional Text called, “The Protoevangelium of James.” In this text, that parents of Mary were named as Joachim and Anne, an old couple who were also graced with a child.

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